The Indirect Approach
by Bad Luck Bug
Summary: Intoxicated by a garden of yarrows, Marinette traumatizes her poor cat. Or, the catnip for Ladybug fic.
1. It was only a kiss

Another Marichat May addition; **Day 13 - SIN**

To honor Ladybug, the Mayor thought, _hey, let's attract_ _ **more**_ _ladybugs!_ Now yarrows line the park, and curl around the statue of Paris' Heroes.

To the artist in Marinette the whole park just looks busy. Or so she tells herself. Be it from a leisurely stroll, to shortcutting through, she cannot enter to even look at them.

She grumbles at each passing. The yarrows. Stupid yarrows! The first time's a blur, and Alya's still flustered by her presence... If Tikki's accounts are anything to go by, Marinette would be wise to allow her some space. At least until they're sixty-four...

Apparently the scent of them... attracts _her_.

 _And the damn sun child has to live by his title_ , Marinette thought begrudgingly.

Adrien visits the Ladybug sanctuary religiously. Smiling, admiring the gift for all of Paris to enjoy. And it hurts to watch. Because now, not only could she not speak around him, it's a known possibility she could no longer function. A repellant to last all spring.

Come the next Akuma attack, she had to get _creative_. It staked claim to the park. Rampaging about how Paris takes beauty for granted, and turning her Partisans into yarrow's.

So she flooded it. Using a spark plug and tweezers.

The Lucky Charm works in mysterious ways.

But, cutting it close on the way home, she swung toward trees for cover. Aiming to their side, but tumbling into a roll as her transformation cut mid swing. Lifting her head she found that no, she didn't clear the garden of yarrows. And she laid back, fully intent on staying for the next hour. It's a warming comfort. Ladybugs drifting lazily overhead, and the scent of flowers on the wind. She inhaled deeply.

"Marinette?" Chat's voice dug her from the deep.

Dazed, she surfaced. "Hey, Chaton," she softly voiced, smiling and curling around a flower. Toying with the ladybugs along its spine.

"You're not... hurt?" He leaned over. No doubt more concerned for her than the others waking, shaking their heads, wondering how they got here after the miraculous cure mended them. She's one who's saved him once before. Injured in the rain, found on her balcony, and she took him in. There's favors to be returned here.

The glint in her eye warned him a moment before she yanked him into the flowers.

"Hey!" Chat sputtered indignantly, now lying on his back, she's giggling! "What's gotten into you?"

Propped up with her hands on either side of his face, she cooed, "you are **so** cute."

Ears folding, he felt the need to say, "you know, this isn't usually how people tell me that."

She giggled again, the lightest tinkling of bells. He'd be lying in saying it didn't add doubletime to his heart. She's always been so reserved in school civilian life. Something about her in this moment told him to treasure it, enjoy her unabashed happiness.

"Cute applies to you as well," Chat informed, tracing a thumb along the apple of her cheek. And as long as guts are spilling, "has anyone ever told you that your eyes are the perfect shade of blue?" Similar to a spotted partner he's admired more than once.

The emerging blush greeting her cheeks treated her smile nicely, like a cherry on top of adorable. Maybe how she met Adrien dashed any hopes for normalcy, but as Chat... he likes this.

Then she kissed him.

Chat muffled a squeak into her lips. Her body pressed into his, and his mind wiped blank. It's a kiss, but a fuse blew, he's sure. Because there's something wrong here. But... he's always wondered what kissing would be like. Her lips are _so_ soft. Gliding over his, nipping and gently sucking. Attention he enjoyed. Simply sat there and blissfully accepted.

Until an urge grew to double it.

Chat pushed up on his elbows, meeting her force, mimicking what her lips taught him. A rougher kiss, he knew, but could only acknowledge. A palpable urgency wouldn't allow any less.

Marinette's brows jumped, eyes remaining closed as she focused every other sense on the feel of him. Her fingertips inched to his shoulders, kneading her thumbs into his suit, elbows resting at his chest.

When they broke, hooded gazes met.

Their pants intermingled till Marinette pecked his chin, trailing kisses down, and grumbling when she met the collar of his suit. Persistence won however, and she lavished what little she had of his neck with her tongue and teeth.

Curious to her intentions, but also squirming due to sensitivity, a raspy question arose, "w-what are you doing?"

"Is that Chat Noir?" came a question from the distance.

He nearly leapt from his skin, acting faster than he could think, Chat pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Ow," she breathed.

Grabbing her waist, Chat vaulted them into the air, landing at her balcony seconds later.

She wobbled on her feet. Flushed red dusting her skin, heavy lidded eyes, and swelling lips that had everything to do with him. Her mouth parted slightly, and a spark drove through him when their eyes met. Emotions he had no hopes of naming crowded to the forefront of his brain because _look at her_.

Maybe he could think if she would stop looking at him like that, stepping closer, and—

"W-wait!" he tapped her shoulder. "Why are you doing this?"

Marinette pouted. "Chat."

"Stop that," he meekly protested. "That was my first kiss," suddenly flustered, he hopped up to pace along her railing. "I mean- I mean I guess an explanation isn't necessary, there usually isn't one in movies. Because they explain themselves, as a viewer you expect it, and know, and I don't." He inhaled a deep breath. "I don't know." He dropped to step around her, mumbling to himself, "kisses don't just happen... right?"

She giggled.

"Marinette..."

"You're so silly," she wrapped her arms around his neck, his head yanked back as far as it could. "You pun _so_ much. And you're so..."

Her eyes fell to a close...

...and he sharply withdrew.

"O-oh! Would you listen to that." He shook his hand. "Miraculous beeped, well I hate to go but-"

"-you're lying."

"Bye!"


	2. Spontaneous Combustion

They're never in the same room. Going in for her daily glimpse of Adrien on break yielded mixed results. his usual table met an empty spot, limo unseen, and finally she found Nino; jaw slack, eyes on the nearest corner.

Marinette, back to the wall, took wide sidesteps up to him. Whispering, "where's Adrien?"

He jumped. "Dude!"

"Sorry."

"Anyway..." Nino jabbed his thumb at said corner. "Craziest thing, he was asking about—" and he fumbled his words. " _Anyway_ , anyway! My dude straight up darted." Lifting a sandwich, he shrugged. "Not abandoning this, so he's on his own."

"Thanks!" Waving goodbye, she cautiously rounded the corner, catching the tail end of him going through to the back of the school. Somehow it reminded her of pet stories. How they can differentiate footsteps, because there's no way he could hear her coming. And although it feels like a pinpoint precision of his departure, there's no way he's abandoning all the usual spots to avoid her. Right? Right?

Marinette caught the tail end of an aggressive, " _you!_ " when she neared.

Proceeding with caution, and poking an eye around the corner, there were two older students and Adrien. The latter pressed against the wall by the shoulder, and _how dare they_.

She saw red— because Tikki urged her to get a teacher.

But they were spewing anger, something about Adrien being a model, and something about a girl and a crush, and when a fist rose into the air, Marinette acted.

She switched on the sprinkler valve with a flick of the wrist mid run. Water flung at the two. They cursed, distracted. Meanwhile, with Adrien's eyes still clenched shut, she dashed between to grab his arm. He flinched.

"Move!" she urged, going ahead, pulling him along.

Although the droplets flying into their eyes made it hard to focus on the path ahead.

"Hey!"

Oops, haha, so they noticed he left.

As soon as they slipped by a corner, she yanked him into a closet. Around their pants the footsteps outside passed them by.

Marinette cupped her forehead, recounting what of her life flashed before her eyes. "Oooh boy I'm crazy."

Meanwhile, dripping-like-a-fricken-model Adrien, stared in awe. "You're amazing."

Dripping... wet. "OhgodI'msorry!" Marinette grabbed at the paper towels behind him, passing them over before she realized her mistake. The smell filled her nose, and her head hit his shoulder, content to breathe in the lingering yarrows.

"So, is there some secret to that swift rescue? Did you attend hero school as a kid?"

Marinette lazily smirked, leaning back enough to airily question, "you wanna know my secret?" And Déjà vu, Adrien discovered, can hit like a freight train. "I'm Chat Noir."

His eyes widened a second before falling flat. "How did I almost believe you?"

Marinette tilted her head up, lingering against his chest as her eyes whispered promises. Promises of yesterday, new promises, promises that put his imagination to shame. His pulse thrummed in anticipation. And when she took a second too long, he took the initiative.

Only to be interrupted by the bell.

"Oh darn," she huffed, breath hitting his lips. Falling toward the door, she caught herself on the knob. Turning it and shaking her head, they found the halls to be empty. "We're late."

He scratched the back of his head. "Wh-what's a second longer then?"

She chuckled into her hand, grabbing his wrist. "Commere you."

Adrien visibly deflated. And along the way couldn't help but notice the heat in her gaze, the lingering touches, and she might be driving him mad. It's when they actually got to the classroom door that she paused. Taking his hand in hers, she press her lips to his knuckles.

"Purrhaps another time, my lord."

Oh that's it.

Adrien swiped at her, and Marinette ducked with far more accuracy than he gave her credit for, into the classroom.

He dropped his head back in defeat, growling through clenched teeth.


	3. Nothing's Actually Explained

Let's jump back _a lot_ , and finally mark this day as done:

 **Day 23 - SIN II**

* * *

Blinking down the road from the park, Tikki muttered something about apologizing to Alya. Appearing on her balcony, Tikki said Chat Noir helped her home. Returning to the classroom, and Tikki divulged it had something to do with Adrien.

There came a knock. Marinette checked her trapdoor. "Maman?" No one. Because no one's home? Knock again. Above. Marinette opened her balcony door.

Chat Noir dropped inside. "Hey."

Her eyebrow scrunched. "Hi?"

Whatever she planned to say next was lost on a kiss. Struggling for good footing atop her bed, Marinette couldn't comprehend the situation to even pose a question. But there was the blaringly obvious—

He tripped her. Purposely. Hitting the bed knocked what little breath she had, but with what remained she glared up at the cat, "what are you—?"

His heavy lidded gaze hovering closer allowed a deep rooted confusion to take up residence. He _wants_ her. Given only a second, she looked to Tikki, who shrugged apologetically.

Oh, that bug is getting _words_.

Whatever happened... Marinette needed to straighten this out. Now.

Their lips reunited. And she fully intended to yank his faux ear for a talk.

Then he bit her lower lip, pressure agonizingly precise, and she melted. Instead sinking her fingers into his hair. Dragging nails along his scalp, encouraging him along. Messaging at his own pace, Marinette drowned in the rhythmic tempo of her heartbeat singing his every move praise, missing her own moan until after he pulled away.

"Wow."

That's her line.

"A-any reason you're showing off lip tricks?" Not that she's complaining.

He pecked the corner of her mouth. "It might be-" cheek. "-a budding addiction of mine." He followed down to her neck. And licked.

She giggled, squirming away.

He frowned. "That's not right."

"Who taught you how to kiss?"

"You."

Marinette tried not to sound panicked. "Me?"

"My first kiss," he distantly reminisced. "In the park." Newly determined, he sat up, tail curling. "Speaking of, I asked a friend. Random acts of kissing doesn't happen."

"You asked?" Her heart squeezed. "About me?"

"Not specifically."

She scrubbed a hand down her face. "Thank goodness."

"So?"

"Uh," she sat up. "Right." Her eyes darted about. She kissed him. She _kissed_ him. Tikki didn't explain enough, how many of those yarrow trances involved lip to lip contact— Alya! Oh god, Alya. No wonder she's been such a mess. And they haven't addressed it. What could she possibly be thinking?

"Marinette?"

"Practice!" Marinette blurted. "I, uh, wanted to practice... kissing. I mean, who better to ask for help than Paris' own hero?" She forced a laugh, anything but smiling, and a touch desperate. "It is fine... right?"

"Of course!" He smiled and she wanted to shoot herself. In the face. "I've been wanting to try it out more."


End file.
